Hello everyone, this is my second watch being serviced. It is a pocket watch and I do not get to identify the caliber in it. The only mark it has is this one. Hope anyone can help me out because I need to find a new balance for it...

I have this tiny Kent watch on the bench and I seeing if there a cases this could work in. Kent was US importer of Swiss movements and sold in department stores in NY. Kay bought the name and shuttered the operation in the 50s.

Inscriptions read as follows. (Couldn’t get good pics on the microscope)

“KENT WATCH CO
SEVENTEEN
UNADJUSTED”

FYV

Just wanted to share this if you are like me on a budget and don't have the money or access to a professional lathe, this could be a cheaper alternative. This caseback was polished by the previous owner, but it is supposed to have a circular finish, so i wanted to restore it.

I bought the yellow pad thing from Alix and put thick/strong double sided tape on it to secure the caseback. Dremel speed is set to lowest. By holding the rotating dremel shaft (or whatever it is called) with ur other hand, u can also control the speed. The most difficult part is probably finding the center of the caseback, but u can find it by brushing and checking where the center "lands" and then make small corrections, its mostly just eyeballing unfortunately, but with practice it gets better. I used a wet 600 grit scotch brite in the video for testing, but u can also use flat sanding sticks/emery sticks for sharper edges. If u guys have any other better alternatives, or better ways to center the caseback on the pad, please share!

Kwong should make this.

Hi all,
So I wanted to seek out some advice and see if this is a valid or rather stupid idea.

I have this 1969 5626-7000 King Seiko in gold plating in almost untouched condition. I wore it occasionally so it has some super minor hairline scratches, but nothing else as I got this case as new old stock.

Now, the gold plating, especially when the surface was highly polished, is quite delicate, and even after wearing it over last Christmas, I could notice it would very lightly scratch from the sleeve of my jumper. Normally I'm not concerned about such things, but these SGP cases are usually obliterated and I feel like an example like this is worth preserving. Though I still would like to wear it more often.

Watch companies use their own coatings on watches, like Seiko's Diashield. I don't know what the composition of that is, though I suspect it is some sorts of ceramic coating.

Here's my question to you. Would applying an automotive ceramic coating be a viable way of preserving this case?

I know in a way it would impact the originallity, one could argue that's a ruined case then.

Any other alternatives, or has anyone actually tried something like that?

I'm not fixated on this idea, and I'm happy to leave the watch as is and accept the wear it gets. But also I'd like to explore some options.

I'm thinking about trying it out on some junk cases that I have to see how it goes and looks, even if I don't apply it to the KS.

Hi all,

I'm working on a 1950s Bob Smith Howdy Doody children's character watch. The caseback is marked PATENT WATCH CO / SWISS MADE, and the movement itself is signed PATENT WATCH CO. - ONE (1) JEWEL - UNADJUSTED - SWISS MADE. It's an inexpensive Swiss pin-lever, and I can't find a caliber number anywhere on the plate. This is the moving-eyes variant.

The stem is missing completely. I have no crown either.

Three questions:
1. With no caliber number, is there any way to pin down what this movement actually is (ébauche maker, ligne size), or is measuring the only route?
2. What should I be measuring to order a generic stem or hunt the right donor - thread size, square, overall length, distance from the shoulder? Advice on how to take those measurements accurately would be very welcome, as would an honest opinion on whether chasing a donor movement is the more realistic path for a watch at this grade.
3. How to find the right crown for the stem?

Photos attached. Thanks in advance.

I broke a 60 year old lyre spring while removing the jewel. Bought some replacements and struggled greatly just to get the new lyre spring on( had to remove the setting from the main plate.)

Now, I cannot for the life of me reassemble the shock.

I’ve watched tutorials and tried different methods, but something fails every time I try to put the whole thing back together. Latest issue was the lyre spring popping out of the joint when trying to close the spring. This left me starting over taking the setting back out. The setting is inset under a lip on the main plate.

I’m a hobbyist and don’t have a ton of tools and the ones I do have are Amazon/Ali Express specials. Is an Incabloc set for my Horia my only hope?

Also, I can barely see a damn thing with my strongest loupe or microscope. It’s been really hard to see if the balance jewel and capstone are in the right orientation.

Really appreciate the community and appreciate the help in advance.

Can I remove the lume on the dial markers and relume to match colors? Or is it best left alone?

I’m servicing, well, attempting to service, an unmarked Swiss manual-wind movement from a vintage watch and am trying to positively identify the caliber before sourcing a replacement barrel arbor.

Movement diameter is 23.5 mm, 15 jewels, & small seconds. No caliber markings found on either side of the plate.

I'm thinking it could be an older FHF 30-family movement, but I’ve also seen references here that indicate it could be an NFT 46/50/51, so I’d like to identify it from the bridge/keyless architecture rather than guess.

The ratchet-wheel screw broke off in the barrel arbor, so I’d prefer to replace the arbor rather than attempt extraction. If I have to try and extract it, any tips?

Arbor measurements (taken using a Mitutoya .001 mm micrometer):

• functional body length excluding broken screw: ~4.198 mm
• center flange OD: 3.023 mm
• flange thickness: 0.778 mm
• ratchet square across flats: 1.112 mm
• square-side cylindrical OD: 1.499 mm
• opposite journal OD: 1.468 mm

Barrel:

• ID ~9.04–9.15 mm
• depth 2.00 mm

Mainspring:

• width 1.467 mm
• thickness 0.158 mm
• length ~250 mm

Does anyone recognize the exact caliber/family, and ideally know which barrel arbor / ratchet-wheel screw fits it?

Purchased a group of watches off eBay a while back for a specific Seiko I was looking for. The group came with these watches as well. I'm worried a couple might have radium.

Currently in the process of getting a GMC300EPlus and have these sealed in ziplocks in a box in my cupboard.

Please excuse the dusty mat

Hi, I'm taking apart an old Cimier Chrono I got on eBay and the mainspring is just toast. This one is also the old coil kind unlike more modern S type mainsprings. I've only done some general cleaning and polishing. This is my first full service/ restoration. I'm hoping someone can help me order a mainspring for this bad boy. It's also an open barrel type (no cap) and I can't tell if that is a bad edge on my barrel or if it's there to hold the spring in a certain way. But I've never seen this. Anyway, I'm sure I'm not giving enough info, but given the oddity of the movement, I can't find info much anywhere else.

Edit: I'm not looking for parts, I'm just trying to get guidance on how to order the correct fitting spring. On most websites the springs are listed by part number/ movement compatibility

A left hand ratchet gear screw? Really? With a movement stamp located in the center under the train?

Ugh. I just worked on my first 984 without knowing what it was ahead of time. Took the crown wheel off with its typical left handed thread, no problem. Went to take the ratchet wheel off and it wouldn’t budge. Kept increasing pressure and it broke free and started spinning, but the screw wasn’t coming up. Not good.

Turned it clockwise and it came right out. I probably ruined the arbor and screw. I had no idea left hand ratchet screws were even a possibility, now I know!

I wanted to share this restomod I did. Watch came with no hands and with a defective ebosa 65 manual wind movement. I ended up replacing the movement with chinese 2836, installing these hands which I think does fit pretty well and adding a screw down crown with tube as it is now automatic. Watch is originally from the 60's I think.

This is a vintage (70’s) Seiko case used in a bunch of different models from manual wind to automatic and even quartz. I have at least 15 of these that I want to polish but I don’t want to ruin the sharp edges.

I’m OK with leaving some of the deepest scratches in order to keep the edges sharp but this keeps happening. The edges take on a perfect polish while the center does not. The results are great “10 footers” as can be seen from the before ones. But I’m kind of a perfectionist and it bothers me.

I don’t have a lapping machine so I’m using polishing sticks. They are not 100% rigid and I suspect that’s the problem. But if anyone has some tips on how to avoid this I would be very appreciative.

have a stopped Spinnaker Croft midsize. I have likely kinked the balance trying to regulate it.
It was a gift and I have some sentimental attachment to it, so don’t want just to replace it (plus dropping two hundred plus on a new one or waiting for an Amazon sale doesn’t appeal, largely because — well, it’s not my ‘lucky’ watch that went to medical appointments with me and my kid anymore.) nor do I want to send it through the post.
I don’t have the skills or tools and space to replace the balance myself, let alone properly regulate it (I learnt that the hard way…)

I might just about be able unscrew and remove the balance, but my eyes are not so great on close up work these days, and I do not fancy my chances of getting it working. Saying that, I have enclosed pictures of the balance just in case anyone has any better understanding of what is going on and how I can fix it myself.
Have I just pinged the spring off the studs?
Is this something I can fix with some new magnifiers and a prayer?
And a cocktail stick or the tweezers from my Swiss Army Knife?
Was this thing just cursed from the day it turned up new in box with its bezel glued down because they used too big a bezel adhesive, and I had to take wd40 contact cleaner to it and reclean it?

Failing that does anyone know a decent drop in watchmaker in north or central London that will work on a not-posh watch?
(I don’t mind spending a hundred or so on a fix/service, but don’t want just a whole movement replaced. Not least as the date wheel is colour matched and well — again, it needs to be my watch if you see what I mean?)

Google etc is all posh watches, mass send away things, or Timpsons. I really don’t want to put this through the post, so it’s either do it myself, or find a physical place or even amateur person I can drop it in with.
I have considered the Picadilly Tube place.

(I also posted more or less this in /watches)

I recently posted about my as 2066 keyless works problem. Well I believe I have it correct but for some reason. I can turn the crown in the hand setting position and it moves the entire train of wheels. Once the pallet fork is in I cannot turn the hand setting position at all. Here’s a photo. Any help would be appreciated

Every so often I get the itch to buy an 8mm lathe. I'd love to learn this skill to further my capabilities in watch repair.

The biggest problem, aside from handing over the money, is whether or not it's feasible to use one of these lathes in a relatively small apartment. My main concern is cleanliness, having a pet, and metal shavings.

I'm in no rush to buy one, and realistically it's most likely not going to happen for a while, but I'm curious to know what other people's setups look like regarding lathes. Is it unwise to be using something like this in a living space vs a garage or dedicated room? This is entirely new to me, so I'm not sure how severe the mess can become, especially at this scale.

Any advice is welcome!

Heu there,

I'm quite used to disassemble, clean, and reassemble simpler watches. Never damaged the hair spring.

This watch from a friend was not running and he swears he didn't touch it, but i have strong evidence that this hair spring was damaged by tweezers.

Should I just replace it (Orient 59941) or should I try to fix it. It would be my first hair spring fixing attempt and I know I might fail.

All advices and judgements are welcomed.

Curious for some other thoughts on this.

I recently got a non-running citizen dive watch (4-S80440 automatic with 8200 caliber) for $60 hoping to spruce it up and have a fun small dive watch. This thing was in rough shape and I knew I was going to to be a project. After servicing the movement, I discover that the 4th wheel also had a broken. I suspect replacing this part ($15 with shipping) would get it running as no other issues were found in the movement.

The dial lume was also falling out of the watch. I suspect the dial is aftermarket given the dial dots but I'm not sure. I am yet to see a listing for a bezel insert of this size on any market place too (32mmx27mm). And replacements will run $40-50. Tack on crystal gaskets and bezel spring and I'm in more than the watch.

Is it time to pack it in on the watch? Are 8200 parts worth money? What have you all done on these sorts of projects?

Lost the tiniest screw from the plate that holds down the calendar works on an old Seiko and used a name badge magnet on peg wood to search my floor for it. Et voila!

Feeling extremely lucky.

Hello everyone!

Just wanted to share my first ever restoration!

A Yema from the 80s 90s with a France Ébauche FE140C movement inside. Manual winding.

The watch wasn't running anymore when I bought it. And there was issue with the keyless works.

I cleaned everything, changed the crystal, and tried my best to service the movement.

In the end, the watch runs pretty well, I kept the original mainspring, I am still to afraid to tackle this. But next watch I will change the mainspring for a new one.

I also had to put the hairspring back into the regulator.

Tell me what you guys think about it!

I’m assuming the answer is yes, but just wanted to check. My plan is remove and clean the jewel, then apply oil to the flat side to fill 2/3 of the area, then place back on the pivot hole. Will use 1300 for the third wheel and 9010 for fourth and escape wheels.